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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494266">a wooden heart and a few splinters</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/oonaseckar/pseuds/oonaseckar'>oonaseckar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, M/M, Single Parents, carpenter Finn (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 02:09:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,342</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27494266</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/oonaseckar/pseuds/oonaseckar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn grew up in the care system: he's picked up useful skills, and has a nice functional life, now.  He's a carpenter.</p><p>Poe is a single parent, looking to furnish his kids' new bedroom.  Apparently.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Poe Dameron/Finn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Harrison Ford used to be a carpenter.  Heheheheh.  Convenient.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's a good life, being a custom carpenter, a master craftsman with his own workshop, taking on consultancy jobs and getting to pick and choose one's clients and projects.  Finn likes it, and is quite comfortable with the life.  He ought to be, in fact.  The fellow he apprenticed to -- Han, now, but Finn knew him the first few years as a respectful Mr Solo -- has all but gifted him the business, now he's back with his first wife Leia, and they're sailing around the world.  A peppercorn rent, top-notch tools, a small but excellent staff.  He thanks Han every day, remembers him in his prayers, owes him a lot: it's Han who trained him up to the skills and the eye and the sure hand, with a tenon saw and a mortise.</p><p>Most aspects of it, he's utterly familiar with: the tools, the paperwork, the chops he's developed over these years of apprenticeship.  He likes the workshop, and quiet afternoons when he's finished a project early, and sees no reason to begin the next before the next day begins. Then he sits quiet in the workroom, after sweeping up the sawdust and the chips of wood, and makes tea as he goes over the next day's to-do list.</p><p>It's only working on his own designs that leaves him a little tense, uncertain of his abilities.  He's always worked to Han's specs.  Han has a genius: whether it's fitting out a whole house, or creating a tiny whittled kid's toy, his eye for line and form is unbeatable.  </p><p>But Finn is master of the workshop, now.  He's going to have to start having more confidence in coming up with his own style.  And he isn't really worried.  Han has complete faith in him, after all.  Life is good.  He's happy.</p><p>Really only one new little wrinkle in his existence is currently giving him problems, and that's one of his new clients. Not that he dislikes Poe, not at all. He likes him fine.</p><p>It's his kids that are driving Finn crazy.</p><p>Poe turned up about a month back, first taking a look around the showroom of the shop-front out facing the busy high-street, and even picking up a couple of wooden toys. That could have meant anything, of course – fond uncle, friend's kid's birthday, appreciator of a good bit of small-scale artisanship. (Finn is great at kidding himself sometimes, when he wants to.) There was no wedding ring on Poe's finger, not that that means much these days.</p><p>But when Finn skirted around the subject at the cash register, saying dumb stuff like, 'Your kids'll love these! The little ones love the wooden animals, especially the stormtroopers!' the reply was unequivocal, after all.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Yeah, they like all the old traditional stuff, it's not all games consoles and Chico BonBon in our house," Poe had said absently.  And he was looking around the showroom, as he keyed his card number into the reader, distracted and thoughtful.  So that was that, then, as far as Finn's instantaneous fancy was concerned.  Of course, you didn't have to be <em>het</em> and <em>married</em> to have kids, that was true, but–-.  No, he absolutely had to stop grabbing at straws.  When something clearly wasn't meant to be, you had to just put your attention elsewhere, not fret over something you were never meant to have.  He'd learnt that long since.  Growing up in care, no family to give a damn about you, you had to.  Else you'd go mad.</p><p>"So you do custom furniture," Poe had said thoughtfully, looking up at the notice to that effect on the shop wall.  And he was still checking out the goods on display -- no double entendre there, unfortunately -- as he sorted out his wallet and tucked away his receipts.  "I've been thinking that my two terrors could do with bunk beds, to maximize the floorspace in their bedroom.  You know, so they'll have more room to litter up with their toys, and candy wrappers and all kinds of garbage."  And he'd looked up and smiled at Finn, and Finn had felt quite weak and helpless in the face of anything so lovely.</p><p>But business is business just the same, and a good salesman as well as a good craftsman should never let a sales opportunity to pass him by.  "Do you have their heights?  And their bedroom's dimensions?" he asked, clearing his throat slightly.  "I could show you some sample beds, take measurements and draw up a custom goods agreement, for a fifteen per cent deposit."  It would be a good deal.  Profitable. </p><p>It would mean seeing a bit more of Poe.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>But in answer Poe only put his hand out and patted the air, so high.  "Only as far as saying about <em>so high</em>," he said, and laughed.  "I'll have to bring them in next weekend, they're busy during the week.  Term-time, you know.  But you'll be open next Saturday?"</p><p>And Finn had agreed that the shop would be open the next Saturday.</p><p>xxx</p><p>Now it's the next Saturday.  And although Finn isn't absolutely relying on it –- customers promise all kinds of things, as they're heading for the door and the bell, nodding away at your sales pitch, it's not as if he's a <em>complete</em> noob –- Poe does turn up, around ten a.m.  He has his kids in tow as promised.  Finn gets them to stand up against the patch of the wall set out for this purpose exactly.  He measures their height, and it's a job and a half.  How can two primary school kids be so much hassle?</p><p>Leia and Luke, Poe introduces them as.  And though Finn wouldn't describe them as oddbods, it's only because it's not a good sales tactic to react to a customer's kids with horror and mockery.  Leia's the girl, the elder.  Her hair!  Swedish earphones: that has to be some au pair or other hired hand's choice, right?  She chats continuously, while he makes note of her height, eyes him thoughtfully like he's going to constitute today's vlog entry.  "So you're trying to sell our Dad something?' she asks speculatively.  Finn rather thinks it's the tactic of someone who thinks she might get bribed with candy, if it looks like she might have the power to overturn a potential sale.  But he's an old hand at this, and he knows that in many a case kids don't exert quite the power that they imagine they do, in a parent's decision to purchase or not to purchase.  Wishful thinking, it is, by and large, in the pursuit of junk food products and cheap plastic toys.  It works less often than any kid expects.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'm pretty sure your Daddy will make his own decision," he says repressively.  And he summons her little brother.  That's up from where he's trying to dive head-first into a tub of wood shavings, and bash his head into the concrete flooring beneath a thin zinc base.  The younger kid isn't any less mouthy.  Finn can only thank God that potential customer Poe is over on the other side of the showroom.  Because that means he's examining the bunkbed sets, when cute, evil-faced little Luke -- absolutely a product of the dark side -- gazes up at Finn as he marks up the kid's height on the wall, and says, "So, I think you like our Dad, right?  You keep <em>smiling</em> at him."</p><p>God damn, but kids are too sharp, and these ones especially, Finn thinks.  He coughs, and gives the kid a repressive and inexpressive grin.  "Three feet four, a big lad for your age!  If you want some of the candy on the counter you'd better beat your sister!"  Damn all kids: too perceptive by half.</p><p>It gets rid of him, and thank God for that.  But there's still the deal to make: and it seems that Poe has made up his mind in favor, and is ready to sign on the dotted line.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It's a very uncomfortable thing, having a crush on someone.</p><p>That's what Finn finds, anyhow.</p>
  </div></div>
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